Ingredients

• handful of dried mushrooms, preferably ceps (or mixed with bay bolets)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 medium beets
• 2 liters of essential vegetable broth (recipe)
• dried herbs: 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons marjoram, 6 black peppercorns, 4 allspice berries
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice or 2 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation

1. Rinse the mushrooms in a colander, place in a saucepan, cover with 2 cups of cold water and leave overnight to soak. The next day, cook the mushrooms until tender, which may take about 20 minutes, in the water in which they soaked, with the addition of bay leaves and garlic.
2. Wash the beets, wrap each in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and bake until tender at about 190 degrees Celsius for about 1 hour. Unwrap from foil, peel and grate on a grater with large holes.
3. To the boiling vegetable broth add marjoram, pepper, allspice and parsley. Add the grated beets, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for about 3-4 minutes, remove from heat and add lemon juice or vinegar.
4. Strain the vegetable broth (it's best to wait one day, if you have time, then the borscht will be more intense) and combine with the mushroom broth. Leave a few mushrooms in the soup, use the rest for the filling for the dumplings.